


Critter

by yeaka



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cats, M/M, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-16 15:54:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21038795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Prompto confesses.





	Critter

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy XV or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

At first, Prompto doesn’t think they should do it at Noctis’ apartment. He feels guilty the second he steps over the threshold. As soon as he comes clean, Noctis is going to throw him out, and then whatever furniture he sits on is going to feel _unclean_, and Noctis will probably resent Prompto even more for sullying his apartment.

But doing it at Prompto’s place isn’t an option. For starters, his parents are home, which is both incredibly rare and incredibly inconvenient. If they realize what he’s doing, they’ll burst in and stop him. But they don’t understand. He needs to tell _someone_. The secret’s driving him crazy, and worse, he can’t lie to Noctis any longer. 

He loves Noctis too much. He gingerly takes a seat on the end of Noctis’ black couch, perched on the very edge of the cushion. Noctis sinks back into his side, feet already up on the coffee table. He’s frowning, like he usually is, but deeper, probably because he knows that something’s wrong. Prompto’s been fidgety all day. He shouldn’t have put it off so long. It’s getting late, and now when Noctis inevitably kicks him out, he’ll have to walk home in the dark. Public transit might be out, because Noctis might put out an order for the Crownsguard to hunt him down.

He sucks in a breath and tells himself that won’t happen. Noctis might judge him, might leave him, but hopefully won’t hate him. Maybe they can just part ways amicably. Prompto sucks in a breath and admits, “I have to tell you something.”

“Yeah, you said that earlier. You gonna tell me what it is or what?”

Prompto winces. He toys with making up something else and backing out. He could say something still true but less horrible. _Noctis, I’m bi. Noctis, I wanna apply for the Crownsguard. Noctis, I think you’ve got a cute butt and I’m super into you._

But he _makes_ himself move forward. He lifts one wrist, then tentatively starts to tug the wristband away. 

He slides it off and down into his lap. He turns his hand over to show Noctis. He can’t meet Noctis’ eyes, but in his peripherals, he can see Noctis sitting up straighter. Noctis asks, “What am I looking at?”

Prompto mutters numbly, “It’s a barcode.”

“A barcode?”

He nods. He thought it would be easier. He figured Noctis knew about Niflheim’s experiments and would immediately put two and two together, but apparently, he has to explain. He stalls and fumbles through the words. “I’m... Noct, I was raised Lucian, I swear. I don’t remember being anywhere but here, and I’m completely, _one hundred percent_ loyal to you and your dad. But... I was adopted from Niflheim. So... I’m...” He tries a few different words in his head, but they all leave a bad taste in his mouth. _Imperial. From the Empire. A nif._ He doesn’t feel like any of them. 

Noctis voice is devoid of any emotion when he asks, “How do you know?”

Prompto weakly gestures with his wrist.

Noctis swallows. “That doesn’t mean anything. It could just be a tattoo.”

Prompto finally looks over, eyes wide. Noctis really doesn’t _know._ Prompto doesn’t know if that’s just because Noctis isn’t privy to military secrets or if Lucis really hasn’t heard about the Empire’s genetic experiments. He didn’t ask how his parents knew—he didn’t want to hear it if it was bad. He’s sure they’re loyal to Lucis. If Lucis really doesn’t know, Prompto will have to tell them. He’ll tell Noctis everything. 

But it’s the sort of thing that someone not in the know wouldn’t believe, so Prompto opts to _show_ him. Prompto swallows. 

He taps his wrist with two fingers. The barcode lights up and starts sprouting golden fur. 

Noctis makes a noise of garbled shock, but before it’s even finished leaving his mouth, Prompto has changed. He’s shrunk down, shifted proportions, and grown hair just about everywhere. His ears have risen to the top of his head, larger and pointier, his tail growing out and flicking. He’s a blond tabby-cat blinking up at Noctis. If he’d been raised in Niflheim properly, he’d be half soldier, half coeurl, utterly unstoppable. 

When he transitions back into a human and his vocal chords return, he croaks, “That’s the only form I can take. I’m a harmless kitten, I _swear_.”

Noctis _stares_ at him. Prompto completely understands. His cheeks are flushed anyway. Noctis mumbles, “I thought those were just crazy rumours...”

So they do know something of it then. Prompto shrugs uneasily. Noctis breathes, “Prom, that’s _so_ cool.”

Prompto’s face heats up further. “Y... yeah? Really? You’re not freaked out...?”

Instead of answering that, Noctis asks, “Can I pet you?”

“_What?_”

Suddenly, Noctis is the one that’s blushing. “I mean, uh, it’s just... well, you looked really cute, and... dude, you _know_ I love cats.”

Prompto did know. But that’s totally different. He doesn’t even know how to answer. Instead, he taps his mark and returns to his four-legged state. He pads across the couch, careful with his claws, and comes right up into Noctis’ lap. Somehow, he feels safer in cat-form, even though it’s not his real body. He doesn’t identify with it. But he does know that people are less likely to hurt him when he’s an adorable kitten. 

Noctis looks down at him and cracks a smile. One large hand drops onto Prompto’s head, and then Noctis’ blunt fingernails are raking back behind his ears. Prompto leans into it and croons. Noctis’ second hand strokes down his back. Prompto actually _purrs_.

The petting picks up the pace. It ruffles his fur everywhere, mixing it up and scratching deep: an amazing massage that would make Prompto’s toes curl if he were still human. Before he realizes it, he’s purring up a storm and mewling for his prince. He keeps trying to chase Noctis’ hands, twisting to keep up with them. He wants more contact. He squirms in Noctis’ lap, rolls over, and starts turning back without even thinking, until he’s a fully grown man straddling Noctis’ lap and nuzzling Noctis’ throat. 

Noctis still pets him. Noctis’ careful fingers slide back into his hair and stroke his lower back. Noctis murmurs, “You’re fucking amazing, Prom.”

Prompto’s never felt so warm. He buries his face in Noctis’ shoulder and squeezes Noctis tight. He stays curled in Noctis’ lap for as long as he can, until he feels brave enough to broach the second subject: he’s glad not to be exiled, but he’d also love a kiss.


End file.
